An Old Tale Made New
by Ziva- Zia- Z
Summary: A princess, trying desperately to escape her destiny... and all it takes is one bite for all they knew to bring their worlds crashing down around them. Post-Class Confusion, AU. Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia
1. Chapter 1

**An Old Tale Made New**

 **Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **Summary: A princess, trying desperately to escape her destiny... and all it takes is one bite for all they knew to bring their worlds crashing down around them. Post-Class Confusion, AU. Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

She sighed; so she'd been able to grow an evil Venus flytrap for class, but this next assignment was harder, and she couldn't just switch or drop the class now; it was too late in the semester. She sat at the table in the castleteria, staring at the juicy red fruit with trepidation. It wasn't that she hated the class; she actually found it quite... interesting, to see what Raven was learning. You know, in a from-the-outside-looking-in kind of way.

"You're concentrating on that apple awfully hard." Her gaze snapped up, to find her roommate standing by the table, book bag slung over her shoulder, guitar case in her hand. Her long black hair was pulled back in a messy braid that hung down her back, and she was nibbling on her lower lip; the purple lipstick she normally wore being worn away, revealing patches of a red lip.

"Just... thinking." She gave her roommate a quick smile; Raven nodded, silent. "So, Raven, about Legacy Day-"

"I'm not signing the book, Apple. I'm sorry, but I want my destiny to be my own. And no one, especially you, is going to take it away from me or make me fall into line." And without another word, she turned and left, heading for the dorm to drop off her guitar case before heading to the library. Once she was gone, Apple turned back to the object of her earlier concentration.

Slowly, she reached out, picking up the fruit she was named after.

 _Your midterm assignment is to poison an apple with a simple sleeping curse._

It had seemed simple enough. Raven could easily poison an apple with a sleeping curse, but Apple found it a little harder. She had no evil in her; she was a princess, not a witch...

A sigh escaped her throat, and she slipped the fruit into her bag and got up; Baba Yaga had told her she could use the lab to work if she needed to, so she might as well take her up on the offer.

* * *

The wind gently tugged at the loose tendrils that clung to her neck and cheeks. She brushed a strand out of her eye, and turned another page in her book. Having finished her thronework, she'd decided that a little downtime would be good for her, so she'd taken a book up to the east turret balcony and curled up with a cup of tea for some alone time.

"Rae?"

She lifted her head at the voice, violet eyes shimmering as she let her gaze settle on Dexter Charming. A tiny smile tugged at her lips, and she sat silent as he joined her. "How'd you find me?"

He chuckled softly. "Best place in the whole school to watch the sunset."

She turned her gaze to the sky. "The sun hasn't set yet, Dex."

He shrugged, leaning over and kissing her sweetly. A month had passed since Raven had declared that she would write her own destiny, and in that time, the school had split down the middle- Rebels, who wanted to follow in Raven's footsteps, and Royals, who wanted to keep to tradition. When Dexter had first asked her out, she'd been stunned, but he'd ignored the protests from, well, everyone, deciding to take a page out of Raven's book, so to speak. It helped that he'd had a crush on her since they were children, and, oddly, everyone had pretty much left him alone in this respect. "What are you reading?"

She held up the book, and he nodded. "It's one of my favorites. My father sent it to me for my birthday last year."

They sat in silence for several minutes, before he finally asked,

"So... Briar's costume party is tomorrow after classes, to celebrate midterms ending, and I was wondering if you wanted to go."

She raised an eyebrow. "Would it really be a good idea if I went?"

"Believe it or not, Briar actually sees why you did what you did last month."

"Oh really?"

He nodded. "We got into a discussion during Good Kingdom Management. She's been leafing through the history of her mom's story- because for one of her classes the midterm assignment is to research the original story and do a comparison of how the tale has changed over the years- and she said when she realized exactly how... horrendible the original story was, well, she's starting to have doubts."

Raven furrowed a brow. "Horrendible? How?"

He cleared his throat. "Well, um... she discovered that in the original Sleeping Beauty, Aurora was... well... at least I think Briar said that the original Sleeping Beauty's name was Aurora, but I could be wrong... anyway, she said that in the original story, the original Sleeping Beauty was raped by her prince while she slept and bore three children."

The young witch covered her mouth in shock. "No!"

Dexter nodded. "You'd be surprised just how gruesome the original fairy tales were before the third generation of Brothers Grimm sanitized them. In the original Cinderella, the stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to fit the slipper, and then their eyes got pecked out by doves. In the real tale of the Little Mermaid, the mermaid is forced to dance on what feels like knives, is told if she kills the prince she'll become human, and then commits suicide by throwing herself into the ocean because she can't kill him. Cerise's story is actually about a child being raped by a stranger- the stranger just happens to be a wolf, in the real Rapunzel-"

She laid a finger over his lips. "I get it, Dex. But... why sanitize the fairy tales? I mean, I get _why_ , but..." She stopped, shaking her head. It was all too much; but she couldn't help herself. "Hey Dex? What... was the original... Snow White's tale like?"

* * *

An exhausted sigh escaped her throat, and she set the book down. It had taken two hours, but she finally got it- or, she thought she had. Her back hurt, and she shook her head to clear the bleariness. She wouldn't know if she passed the midterm until the following day when they handed the assignments in. After a moment, she gathered her things and stuffed them into her bag, slipping the apple in last before leaving the lab.

On her way back to the dorm, she stopped, seeing Dexter walking Raven back to the dorm in the opposite direction. Their linked hands and bent heads meant they were deep in conversation, and after a moment, Raven shook her head as he said something she couldn't hear.

* * *

"So... I'm confused Dex. There's actually no magic involved in the original Snow White? But the poisoned apple-"

"It's only half poisoned. The queen eats the un-poisoned half, and Snow White eats the poisoned half. But it doesn't kill her. It lodges in her throat, choking her."

"So... let me get this straight. Because she doesn't eat it and therefore doesn't fully ingest the poison, all it does is knock her unconscious?" Dexter thought a moment, before nodding. Raven whistled, shaking her head. "That's... harsh. But... wait, how does she wake up. Does the prince kiss her?"

Dexter snorted. "That's something the Brothers Grimm made up when they sanitized the story. In reality, he takes her out of the coffin, puts her on the back of the horse, and the jostling of the ride causes her to cough up the apple, restoring her consciousness."

"Okay, I stand corrected, that's not harsh, that's messed up."

He laughed softly. "I'd say that I like our versions better, but the originals do have some merit to them."

"So, what? Bring the originals back?"

* * *

She watched as Dexter kissed her roommate firmly on the lips before parting with promises to see her the next afternoon. She nodded, watching him leave before pulling her key from her pocket and turning to the door, only to jump. "Oh, hi Apple. Sorry, I didn't see you there. How did your midterm go? Did you get it done?"

"I got it done. Took me two hours, but I got it done. We'll see tomorrow if it worked."

Raven nodded as they entered the dorm, and made her way to her bed. "Well, I hope it worked. So you can, you know, pass the class and then get back to... whatever princesses do." The blonde nodded, lost in her own thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

She dumped her books on her bed and then made her way to the bathroom she and Apple shared, washing off her makeup, purple lipstick and all; it felt so nice to be clean and refreshed, especially after the stress of midterms. Hers had gone quick and easy.

Her last one had been before lunch, and after grabbing a bite with Dexter, Cedar, Cerise and Maddie, she'd returned to her dorm, intent on putting the finishing touches on her costume for Briar's party. She'd taken one of her old dresses and turned it into a thing of medieval fantasy, with long sleeves that came to her wrists, a long skirt that trailed not far behind, and a beautiful black knotted design around the waist. The dress had once been a white ballgown that her father had gotten her for her birthday ball when she turned fourteen; she'd gotten the idea from an image of a tapestry she'd seen in a book in the library about the original Brothers' Grimm, and had been intrigued by it. She'd also managed to make a white headpiece that went around her forehead, a simple pearl hanging from it. She was sure to stun Dexter tonight when he came to pick her up.

As she tried the costume on and studied herself in her mirror, just to check if she needed to make any adjustments or add anything her stomach began to growl. So she hadn't exactly eaten lunch- more picked at her food, for she'd been so concerned with her Muse-ic midterm that she'd lost her appetite...

 _You could go down and get something at the castleteria..._

She shook her head, not wanting to have to change just yet. She quite liked how the dress looked on her, even if it was simply a costume for a party. Her stomach growled again, and she sighed. She hadn't picked up anything at the castleteria after her last class; she'd been so relieved to get her Muse-ic midterm over with that she'd forgotten to. Maybe she could text Apple and ask her to pick something up after her last midterm, especially since the blonde had three more midterms before she would be finished...

Sighing, she moved away from her mirror, turning to go back to her bed and proceed to undress when she stopped, gaze latching onto someone on Apple's desk.

* * *

"Alright everyone, let's see how your poisonings have gone. Remember, the poisoning is only half of the grade; the other half is if it actually worked."

Apple sighed, reaching into her bag-

She furrowed a brow, rummaging around for several minutes, before looking inside, and then promptly turned the bag upside down, dumping the contents onto the table in front of her. No matter what she shifted, lifted or pushed aside, she didn't see the red apple she'd been given for this assignment.

"Oh, no... where is it?"

"Miss White, is something wrong?"

"I had it with me this morning," She looked up to find Baba Yaga and the rest of the class watching her. "The apple. I don't know where it could have gone. I had it this morning, and then I went back to my dorm after lunch to get my other projects for my classes and-" She stopped, going paler than was thought possible. "Oh no!"

She suddenly remembered that she'd left it on her desk, while she was trying to maneuver the other things into her bag and then-

"I left it in my dorm." Her blue gaze shot up to Baba Yaga. "Um... Madame Yaga, may I be excused? I... I just... I have just have to go back to my dorm and get the apple. I left it sitting on my desk this afternoon when I-" The older witch waved it away with a nod, and she got up. Without another word, she left, racing up to her dorm to retrieve her midterm project.

* * *

 _You don't need the whole apple. Just one bite will do._

She picked up the fruit, studying the gleaming skin. It shone in the light of her dorm, and slowly, she lifted it to her lips-

 _No, this is Apple's apple. Even if she said you could, taking a bite out of it would be rude. Maybe just a slice._

Yes, if she sliced it in half, then that would leave the other half for Apple when she wanted it. She quickly conjured a small parring knife and set the apple back on the desk, holding it steady as she sliced into it, unaware of the flicker of black that glimmered when the knife broke the fruit's skin. She set the knife down, lifting the slice.

 _There, half for you, half for Apple when she gets out of midterms._

* * *

Her heels clicked on the marble floor, before she skidded to a stop in front of her dorm. She quickly went to unlock the door, only to find it unlocked, and pushed it open. As she barged in, she barely noticed Raven making her way back to her side of the room, something in her hand. "Oh, thank Fairy Godmother, it's still-"

She stopped, seeing the parring knife resting on the desk beside the sliced fruit.

"Apple? What are you doing back so soon? I thought you had a midterm now." She turned, finding Raven in some kind of white costume, a white crown across her forehead; her gaze shot to the object in her roommate's hand, and she choked on a sob as she realized it was-

"Raven," She swallowed. "Where... where did you get that?"

The young woman glanced down at the apple slice in her hand. "Oh, sorry. I know it's yours but I'm starving, so I took a slice. I hope that's okay."

Apple shook her head, rushing to her roommate. " _Raven, that's not an ordinary apple!"_

Time seemed to slow, as though she were running through molasses, watching everything happen in slow motion, as if Father Time had decided to play a cruel joke on her.

Raven took a bite of the apple slice in her hand. She chewed briefly, before her eyes widened. The bitten slice fell from her hand, and she gasped, reaching up to grab at her throat. Then, slowly, she crumpled, still struggling to breathe.

"Raven, no!"

Suddenly able to move again, she rushed to her roommate, gathering her up in her arms. "Raven? Raven! Raven, talk to me! _Say something!_ "

But the young woman's violet eyes locked on Apple before closing, and her breathing stopped. The blonde choked on a sob, gathering her roommate to her chest. _"Raven!"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

She hated to leave Raven, but she had to; she had to get help. As she rushed off, back to Baba Yaga's class, it was clear that her poisoning spell had worked.

She'd managed to poison her own roommate.

How had this happened? How the world had this managed to happen? She was supposed to be the next Snow White, not Raven! Raven was supposed to poison _her_ , not the other way around!

She made it back to Baba Yaga's just as the classes let out, creating a swarm of students in the hall.

"Madame Yaga! Madame Yaga!"

"Ah, there you are, Miss White! When I excused you, it was so you could go back and get your apple and return, not miss the entire-"

 _"It worked, Madame Yaga! My apple worked!"_ She cried, pushing through the throng of students. _"I didn't mean to do it! I swear! But Raven... Raven, she-"_

"What about Raven?"

The blonde turned, tear-filled gaze landing on Dexter who was passing by and had stopped at Apple's frantic cries. She sniffled, swallowing. _"The apple I was supposed to poison for my midterm... I left it on my desk when I went back to the dorm to get my projects for my other classes after lunch... I didn't realize I'd forgotten it until I got to class... by then... Raven had found it..."_

By now, half the student body had stopped to listen as the future Snow White tearfully told her tale.

 _"She cut off a slice and... and took a bite... she's... she's in our dorm... I can't get her to wake up..."_

Without a word, Dexter took off for the girls' dorm, Apple, Briar and Madame Yaga hot on his heels, for the future Sleeping Beauty knew the original tale of Snow White, and had to see for herself. She prayed what Apple said was wrong...

* * *

The four skidded to a stop in front of Apple and Raven's dorm room, and tentatively, Dexter pushed the door open. Briar gasped, dropping the book of original fairy tales she'd checked out of the library for her midterm. _"No!"_

Raven lay on the floor of the dorm, in a snow-white costume, a slice of a bitten apple not far from her fingertips. No movement, no sound, came from her. It was as though she were sleeping... or...

 _"Rae!"_

Dexter rushed to her, gathering her into his arms. He started; she was pale, the black of her hair making her seem even more so, and her lips were as red as fresh blood. He quickly placed his head against her chest; he couldn't hear a heartbeat, but it could have been the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body that masked a heartbeat.

 _"What is going on in here?"_

Everyone turned to see Headmaster Grimm standing in the doorway.

* * *

 _"Snow White. The story's playing out. But... but it's supposed to be me, not Raven."_

She sat in Baba Yaga's office, Briar and Dexter with her. Raven's body had since been removed from the dorm, and placed in a stained-glass coffin, lying in wait until her father could come get her. It had given enough time for news of the accident to make its way around the school...

The accident had been explained, and Apple took full blame for accidentally poisoning her roommate. But no matter how many times it was explained, it didn't make any sense. Was she asleep? Or dead?

 _How is this fair? Raven has tried so hard in the last month to escape her destiny, to escape poisoning me, and now, because of me, she instead gets poisoned. All because of a stupid assignment._

Apple's assignment had been to poison an apple, but when she'd watched Raven today after she'd taken the bite, one thing had bothered her beyond all else.

How she'd grabbed her throat after biting into it.

"She grabbed her throat."

"What was that, Miss White?" Headmaster Grimm asked; he and Baba Yaga had given the blonde time to gather her thoughts after explaining the whole ordeal. She slowly raised her gaze to the headmaster.

"Raven. She bit into the slice and... and then grabbed her throat before she collapsed. It was like... like she was _choking_..."

Dexter lifted his head. Choking?

He turned to Briar, who met his gaze, her shocked expression mirroring his own. Without a word, the two students rushed from the office. Apple watched them go, shocked.

"Briar! Dexter! Where are you going?"

* * *

"Do you really think it could be true, Dexter?"

"That Raven's playing out the original Snow White instead of the sanitized version we've been spoon fed for years?" He asked as they hurried through the school. Through the open castle doors, they could see Raven's coffin being carried by pallbearers, followed by the Good King. "I'd say so." He picked up his pace, unaware that rest of the school was watching, that Apple, Baba Yaga and Headmaster Grimm had followed them out. "Wait!"

"Your Highness, wait!"

The Good King turned, and both teenagers skidded to a stop at the landing. "I'm taking my daughter home, where she belongs. I never wanted Raven to follow her destiny, let alone be forced into someone else's-"

"Your Highness," Briar held up the book she'd been using for research. "Please, listen! This isn't the version everyone knows! It's the original!"

The king furrowed a brow. He remembered the tales of the original Snow White; how it was the jostling of a horse, not true love's kiss, that awoke the young princess.

"What are you saying, Briar?" Baba Yaga asked, having finally caught up with them. The teenager turned to the woman.

"I've been doing research for my-" She stopped. "One of my midterms was to look up my original story and compare it to the one now. I found a book of original tales, collected by the original Grimm brothers, and..." She opened the book, flipping to the story of Snow White. "In it, she chokes on the apple. Yes, it's poisoned, but that's not what makes her go unconscious. And it's not true love's kiss that wakes her, but when the prince puts her on the back of his horse, the jostling dislodges it from her throat and wakes her up. In other versions, the prince shakes her and that dislodges the apple-" She turned to Dexter. _Sorry, Dexter._ "Raven doesn't have a true love, not that anyone knows of, anyway. I don't think true love's kiss will work on Raven."

The Good King studied the girl before taking the book. Yes, he remembered the original story, and to be honest, he preferred the original story to the sanitized one the teenagers of Ever After High were fed. A moment passed, as he glanced at his daughter's lifeless body. "So what do you suggest we do, Miss Beauty?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

"Easy now! Gently!"

Everyone watched as the coffin was laid upon the ground by the steps of Ever After High. The fact that they were even going to try what Briar suggested-

Slowly, the crowd parted and allowed Dexter to move down the steps towards her. He studied his girlfriend, the girl he'd loved since childhood. The most logical thing would be to kiss her, hoping that true love's kiss would work, but he knew that Briar had a point. As was determined by her destiny- at least, until she decided to defy it- Raven had no true love. Unless she decided to find one, and who knew if she would even consider him.

If he were honest with himself, kissing her was the last thing he wanted to do. If this was the original fairytale, then a kiss wouldn't work anyway, and he didn't want to risk it. From everything Briar had studied, the story that was playing out was more along the lines of the original...

Slowly, he knelt beside the coffin; as he studied his girlfriend through the glass, he was surprised at just how much Raven seemed to match the real Snow White. _Hair as black as a raven's wing, skin as white as snow, lips as red as fresh blood..._

The lid of the coffin was lifted, and gently, Dexter lifted her out. She was light, incredibly light, Dexter realized. How had he never noticed before, exactly how light and lithe his girlfriend was? How tiny she truly was? Sure, he knew that her heart was pure, that she was nothing but good and kind and innocent in so many ways-

"Come on, Rae, wake up for me."

He sat on the steps of the school, Raven in his lap, and gently, he leaned down, brushing a soft kiss to her lips. He knew it wouldn't work, but if this was the end, he wanted one last kiss.

Briar knelt by Dexter's side, helping him to adjust her, the book at their feet. "I don't understand. It's... it's almost like... like someone switched the fairy tales. She looks so much like Snow White-" She stopped, watching as Dexter gently rubbed Raven's back. She turned to the Good King, who simply hung his head as the princess caught his eye.

Suddenly, Briar knew. She didn't know the specifics, but she knew that somehow, Apple's destiny and Raven's all belonged to the same girl. That somehow, the Evil Queen was both the Evil Queen and Snow White, and that Snow White was really-

"Apple's mom isn't really Snow White, is she, Your Highness?"

The Good King watched his daughter, and silently shook his head. "Emmaleigh was destined to be the next Snow White," he swallowed, thinking of his wife, trapped in Mirror Prison. "But Gabriella," Apple started to hear her mother's real name. She'd only ever heard it once or twice growing up, for the most part, everyone just called her Snow White. "Gabriella wasn't satisfied with being second best. From what I understand, she forced Emma to take her place- some sort of threat, I think, while she took her place as the next Snow White. We were your age, and Legacy Day was such an important-" He sighed, gazing locking on his daughter.

"I don't understand." Apple said. "If the Evil Queen is really Snow White, then... how does Raven have magic?"

"With Gabrielle having stolen Emma's destiny, Em turned to studying the magical arts. But the pain of losing her destiny pushed her too far, she fell further into the dark arts; back home, it's known that if a woman delves too deep into magic, that magic becomes a part of her; it bonds to her DNA, and therefore-"

"So when she had Raven, Raven inherited her powers because they'd become a part of her." Briar finished, making the connection no one else could. She turned back to the young Rebel leader. "Which is why Raven looks so much like Snow White- she _is_ the next Snow White."

"But that doesn't make any sense! I'm the next Snow White, I-" Apple stopped as the Good King turned to her.

"Your mother is a fraud. She stole my wife's destiny, colored her hair black- your mother is actually a blonde. She poisoned herself and blamed Emma-"

Apple threw her hands over her ears; after the events of Legacy Day and Raven's unexpected, accidental poisoning, this was too much-

* * *

Dexter was only partially listening to the Good King, so focused on Raven was he.

He studied her features, running a hand thru her black hair as he shifted so that she was sitting between his legs on the step below him. He gently leaned her forward, patting her back gently, before realizing it wouldn't work. If Briar was right, and the apple was lodged in her throat-

"Raven. Rae, come on, wake up for me!"

He shook her, not to forcefully, but just enough to hopefully dislodge the fruit. Briar watched with tears in her eyes. If they couldn't get the apple slice out of her throat, it would kill her, not just knock her unconscious. But wasn't that the moral of Snow White- be careful of who you trust, for not everyone has your best intentions at heart? Take nothing from a stranger, for you don't know if what they give you could harm you?

But this wasn't an apple given in spite, jealousy or vengeance. This was a mistake; a class project left forgotten where Raven could get to it. And at that, didn't Raven deserve some blame in her situation? For she'd sliced the apple in half, taking one slice and leaving the other for her friend-

And that, Raven's good-nature, her kind, trusting personality, her pure heart and almost innocent thinking- that she'd take one half and leave the other for Apple- was what put her in this predicament in the first place. While Apple was trusting and a little naive, she was only so because her mother had drilled it into her head since she was a child. Raven's trust and kindness was natural; it was a part of her, not just some fairy tale.

And that was what made her the perfect Snow White.

So if what the Good King said was true, then Apple's destiny was really Raven's. And Raven's was actually meant for Apple-

She picked up the book again, eyes quickly scanning through the pages of Snow White's story. After several minutes, however, a gasp was heard.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

The first thing she became aware of, was of someone shaking her.

At first it was faint, like the tingling in a limb after it had fallen asleep, but soon, it got worse. And after several moments, a voice, followed by another and another-

 _"Come on, Rae, cough up the apple for me!"_

 _"I know you can, Raven! This isn't your destiny! You're supposed to make your own destiny! Not be trapped in someone else's!"_

 _"Raven, please! Please, wake up!"_

She struggled to take a breath, but something stopped her. Something was lodged deep in her throat, cutting off her air. She couldn't take a breath, couldn't speak, it was as though something was stopping her.

Someone leaned her forward, the shaking continued, the voices continued, and slowly, the thing in her throat began working its way up-

She let out a gasp, coughing something up. Half of an apple tumbled out of her mouth and onto the steps beside her. She struggled to take in a shaky breath, and after a moment, she reached out a shaky hand, picking it up.

An apple.

 _The apple on the desk, the one she'd taken a slice of. Turning to find Apple in the doorway, screaming something about it not being a normal apple._

Slowly, she turned, to find herself in Dexter's arms, with Briar sitting across from her, with the rest of the school gathered around. And her father, on the step above her, a look that she couldn't read on his face.

"What... what happened? Dexter?"

Her voice was raspy; her head filled with fog.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're okay!" The prince pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair, shoulders shaking. "I was so afraid we'd lost you!"

He pulled away, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. After a moment, she turned to Apple, who had tears streaking down her cheeks. "Will someone please tell me... why my father is here and... why the rest of the school is here and... what's going on?"

* * *

After a full examination by the nurse- she was deemed fine, if not a little dehydrated and lightheaded- Raven was allowed to return to her dorm, provided she get some much needed rest. As she stepped out of the nurse's office, she soon found herself enveloped in hugs, pats on the back, asked repeatedly if she was okay.

"So... the apple I ate was... was the one for Apple's midterm?" Raven asked, turning to her friends as people slowly dispersed. Apple nodded, tears continuing to trail down her cheeks.

 _"I'm so, so sorry, Raven-"_

"I didn't know." The young woman replied softly. "I thought you'd picked it up at the castleteria and just forgotten about it. That's why I cut it in half. I didn't know it was the apple for your midterm. The mistake is-"

"Mine." Apple cut her off, rushing to her roommate. Despite all her desires for her own destiny, she wasn't too selfish to admit that watching Raven succumb to her midterm had terrified her. She'd been so concerned with her own happily-ever-after that she hadn't realized just what torment came before her kiss from her prince. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Being the kind girl she was, Raven laid a hand on her roommate's head before pulling away. "Of course I can."

"I don't understand." Cerise spoke up, tugging her cloak tighter around her. "Why didn't true love's kiss work? Why did she spit the apple out?"

Raven glanced at Briar. The princess had informed her of what had happened; that it wasn't the poison, but the apple lodged in her throat that had knocked her unconscious, that since she had no predetermined prince, true love's kiss wouldn't work on her, and that she was following the original Snow White, not the sanitized version everyone knew now. And then she'd started to tell her of her true destiny- that she was actually the daughter of Snow White, that the Evil Queen had been Snow White until Apple's mother had decided that her mother's destiny should be hers, and therefore pushed her mother towards the dark arts- but she'd stopped, deciding that it was better if Raven heard the truth from her own father instead of her.

"Because her mother turned into the Evil Queen, Raven didn't have a prince charming, and therefore, couldn't have true love's kiss. The poison didn't work, because she choked on it. In the original fairy tale, while the apple is poisoned, it's not the poison that does it. It lodges in Snow White's throat. The prince never kisses her; he puts her on the back of his horse to take he away, and the jostling of the horse dislodges the apple from her throat, waking her. There's another version where the prince shakes her and dislodges it-"

"Which is why Dexter was shaking her." Cerise finished, and Briar nodded. "He was trying to dislodge the apple from her throat."

"And it worked, thank Fairy Godmother!" The prince in question replied, pulling her close.

"So... if the fairy tale played out... but it was the original..." She turned as her father joined them. "Father!"

The Good King scooped his daughter into his arms. "What happens now?" He took her face in his hand, studying her. She seemed to grow up in such a short time. It was as if the incident with the apple had aged his daughter; no longer was she a fifteen-year-old girl, but a young woman in her twenties, wise beyond her years. But then again, he mused, Raven had always been older than she'd seemed.

 _If only Emma was here..._

* * *

She sighed, numb. She sat across from her father in the headmaster's office; had listened as he told her every detail about what had happened to her mother- how Emmaleigh was actually the real Snow White, but had been forced into the role of the Evil Queen by Apple's mother-

She was sick. Sick from knowing that her roommate was so determined to have a destiny that wasn't even hers, that had never been hers. Sick to discover that her mother's destiny had been so cruelly ripped from her due to jealousy and selfishness. Sick to know that while Apple had been so focused on a destiny that wasn't hers, that _she_ had been the one to fulfill her mother's stolen destiny.

"Father?"

The Good King met her gaze. "What is it, my blackbird?"

A tiny smile tugged at her lips at her father's nickname for her. "What... what happens now? The original story-" She stopped, unsure of how to continue.

He sighed. "I spoke to Headmaster Grimm while you were in with the nurse. I want to remove you from the school and take you home, to Marberlay. We can continue your education at home-"

"Father!" She climbed to her feet as the Good King stood and moved to leave the room. _"Father, please!"_ He turned back to her. "As much as I love our kingdom... it was an _accident_. Apple didn't _mean_ to poison me. I took the apple because I thought she'd bought it during lunch, I didn't know it was one for her midterm. Not all the blame goes to Apple; I take some of it too."

"I'm not blaming Apple, Raven."

"Then why remove me from school if not because of what happened with the apple?"

He went back to her, taking his daughter into his arms. _Fairy Godmother, you look so much like your mother._ When had his daughter grown up so? When had she let go of caring what others thought of her? Was it because of the apple? Was it because of the original story? "You are so much like Emma, like your mother, my little blackbird. Strong-willed, independent, just like her. With the same heart and soul-" _Until the darkness took her._

"Father?"

"Come back to Marberlay, Raven. Just for a little while. Just until you fully recover. I've already talked to Headmaster Grimm. If you're still feeling up to it after you've fully recovered, then you can return to Ever After High. If you feel like you just can't return, that's all right too. But it'll be your choice. I won't force you."

Her response was to throw her arms around his neck, and bury her face in his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

Despite her protests, she had to admit that it felt good to be home.

Still in her costume for Briar's party, she'd let her father take her home; one of her father's footmen had gone up to her room and retrieved her guitar and a few things she'd asked for, before they left. She'd kissed Dexter softly on the cheek, promising to be back, and given Apple a hug, whispering that she didn't blame her. She knew that her father was right; she needed time away from school to recuperate.

With one last glance, she'd climbed into the car before letting it take them back to Marberlay.

* * *

Marberlay always reminded her of a cross between the old and the new; the villages of her home country had both modern amenities and old; the costume she wore was very similar to what many of the lower nobles wore, for despite the modern times, Marberlay was a mixture of old and new; dresses like the one Raven wore were often times more comfortable than modern clothing; it also wasn't uncommon to see carriages and cars sharing the roads. A proud kingdom, they still held onto many of the traditions and beliefs that were considered 'pagan' by the other kingdoms, especially Ever After.

A princess of the South, Raven had grown up hearing stories of the rigid North, the war between the West and East, and how Ever After desired all in the world to follow their example. Raven hadn't attended Ever After High by choice. Her parents- her father, at least- would have rather she stay in Marberlay and continue her education, for she would one day take the throne, if he had his way, but it had been nonnegotiable.

 _All_ children of fairy tales were to attend Ever After High.

The Good King had regretted his sending he beloved daughter to that school, if he were honest with himself. Yes, she'd managed to make friends, and had seemingly found love with Dexter Charming, but that school had caused more trouble than it was worth. As he watched his daughter step out of the car and rush towards the staff that had watched her grow up, he realized that while the school had its faults, there were good things that had come from the school as well.

* * *

She sighed, finally stepping out of the shower. The water coated her skin like a blanket, and she turned to the mirror. A week had passed since her father had brought her home. She'd been allowed three weeks to recover before returning to school.

But did she really want to return? Was it worth going back, when Marberlay had a number of schools that had higher standards of education than Ever After High did? Did she really want to return to a school where she'd been- up until a week ago- an outcast, a troublemaker, a rebel that needed to fall back into her place in line?

Despite being the daughter of the Good King, the Crown Princess of Marberlay, she knew a good many of the teenagers of her home country; she'd grown up with them, played with them when they were children, and she, being one of their own, hadn't been looked on like a problem, like so many at Ever After High did. She'd always had friends, but they'd been left behind when she went to Ever After High...

And then there was the added problem of leaving the friends she had at Ever After High. Maddie and Cedar and Cerise, and Dexter. Could they really survive a long distance relationship if she didn't return to EAH?

A deep sigh escaped her throat, and after a moment, she left, returning to her room, even more torn than before Legacy Day.

* * *

The Good King looked up from his paperwork to the sound of something swinging and then stopping. He turned, to find his beloved daughter in the doorway, kicking the door to his office so that it swung back and forth, swinging lightly on its hinges. "Raven? Something I can help you with, my blackbird?"

She looked up, surprised to have been caught, and bit her lip. "I... I was wondering..." He waited and she came into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her. Silently, she made her way to her father, kneeling down beside him. She wore the white costume she'd worn the day of the apple debacle; it was quite comfortable, made of the softest of silks. The headpiece she'd made was around her head, and she'd foregone her makeup, preferring a more natural appearance.

"Wondering what, my dear?"

She took his hand. "Can I... stay here?" The question startled him. "There are plenty of schools here, many of them teach magic, because many of the nobles at court can do basic magic-" He held up a hand, stopping her.

"You don't want to return to Ever After High?"

She shook her head. "No, Father."

"What brought about this sudden change?"

She shrugged. "I just... after the incident with the apple... I just... need a change. And... maybe I need to spend a little time at home. Learn how to... run a country." She met her father's gaze, and he chuckled softly.

"That sounds like a fine idea, blackbird, if you're sure."

She nodded. "Would you... teach me? How... how to... run a country? Or a... kingdom, rather?"

"Of course I will, Raven."

She stood, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Father."

* * *

Apple rushed through the school, headed for the dorms. After midterms, the school had been closed as the students returned home for two weeks for holiday break, and she couldn't wait to get back to see Raven, for the young woman was supposed to be back now. And she said she'd be back, after all.

Once making it to the dorm she shared with Raven, she quickly unlocked the door. "Raven, it's so good to see you again-"

The site that met her made her breath catch. While Apple's side of the room had been untouched, all of Raven's things were gone. The photos on the wall, the bedding, the books on the desk. Slowly, Apple made her way into the room, going to Raven's closet; even her clothing was gone. As she went to take a seat on her bed, she stopped, seeing something on the pillow of what had once been Raven's bed.

 _Apple,_

 _I'm so sorry to tell you like this, but I've decided not to return to Ever After High. It's not just because of the poisoning, Apple, I promise. I just... I just realized that I can no longer do this. I can't be the leader of the rebels anymore. It's all just too much. So I've decided to stay in Marberlay, and attend one of the schools in my home country; I can better learn how to control my magic and finish out my education here than I ever could at Ever After High. My father is also going to teach me how to rule, so when the time comes, I can take over for him. I'm quite looking forward to learning all I can from my father. Maybe one day I'll come back to Ever After High, but for now, this is the best option for me. Please keep in touch, and maybe over the summer holiday, you can come visit._

 _Take care, Apple._

 _Your Friend Forever After,_

 _Raven Audrina Queen,_

 _Crown Princess of Marberlay_


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

Raven's days were filled with classes at Wanderfall Preparatory- a private school for the nobility of Marberlay; there, Raven could take classes that helped her to focus on what she was interested in, not what others wanted her to be. She was also taking courses in how to better control her magic. In the evenings, she and her father spent time in his study, where she'd learn all that a good leader needed to know. And though her mind flitted to Ever After High on occasion, she had no regrets about not returning.

Apple and her friends came to visit over the summer holidays, and at first, they'd spent their time trying to convince her to return, but over the course of their stay, they realized that perhaps being back home was exactly what the young woman needed. She and Dexter were still going strong; he spent vacations at Marberlay, and they called, hexted and video chatted when Dexter went back to Ever After High.

A good portion of her friends had to admit that Raven did look better. She seemed happier, more carefree, it was as though going through Snow White's destiny had freed her from the Evil Queen's. She looked healthier; not as thin as she'd been, as though the weight of the world had been removed from her shoulders. She seemed to grow up right before their eyes.

* * *

"I think it's time I stepped down."

Raven's glass clunked against the table, and she looked up at her father. "What?"

"You heard me, Raven. It's time I stepped down, made way for a new ruler."

Her mouth dropped, and after a moment, her father got up, making his way to his daughter. He'd watched her in the last three years, saw how she'd grown into a strong, confident young woman; she'd graduated from Wanderfall a year early, at seventeen, and was debating attending university. Without the threat of the Evil Queen's destiny hanging over her head, she'd blossomed.

He knelt down, taking her hands, but she stopped him. "Father, you can't be serious-"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life, blackbird." He whispered. "You've grown into a fine young woman. I've taught you well, as well as I can. And it's not like I'll be leaving, I'm just stepping away from the crown." He reached up, cradling her cheek. "I have no doubt that you'll be a fine ruler, my little blackbird. You have a good head on your shoulders, and you've learned from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. I'll be leaving Marberlay in good hands. And I'll still be here, so if you have a question or need advice, you can always come to me."

"Do you really think I would be a good... a good ruler, Daddy?" She whispered, using a term she hadn't used since she was a child. Her voice shook with worry, and her violet eyes were filled with fear. He pulled her into a hug.

"I have no doubt you'll be a good ruler, my little blackbird. But if you really don't want it, you don't have to take the crown. Your destiny is yours to choose."

She pulled away as he pressed a kiss to her head. She swallowed. Marberlay was such a huge part of her life; it was her home country, her kingdom, the only place she truly wanted to be. She had grown up with the notion in her head that once she reached adulthood, she would come home and do good, make Marberlay a better place. "You don't have to decide now, blackbird. But when you do, I'll support you in whatever your decision is."

* * *

She lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her father wanted her to take his place. But it was her choice if she really wanted to, and he'd support her either way.

 _Your destiny is yours to choose._

After a moment, she sat up, getting off her bed and going to the window. The lands, forests and villages of Marberlay stretched out before her. At least her father understood that she didn't want to be forced, and so was giving her a choice. Something those at Ever After High had never given her, had never even allowed her to consider.

Ever After High. By now, her former classmates would be preparing for their final year before they went off to their predetermined destinies, or not. To think, by now, if the poisoning hadn't happened, she would be forced to accept the Evil Queen's role...

She turned back to the door of her bedroom, knowing her father's study was beyond. A moment passed, before she turned back to stare out at Marberlay stretched out below her. And then, without a word, she rushed from the room.

* * *

Dexter looked around, in search of her. He knew she'd be here; even though she no longer attended Ever After High, there was no way she'd missed graduation. He wasn't the only one counting on seeing Raven, and he exchanged nervous glances with Cerise, across the courtyard. Apple was in conversation with Maddie, but both would cast a glance towards those gathered to attend.

Since Raven's poisoning, the desire to break free from destiny had grown stronger within Ever After High. And when it was revealed she hadn't returned, Cerise and Maddie had taken it upon themselves to lead the rebels; eventually, over the last three years, the rebel movement had grown stronger until it wasn't just one or two pushing back, but the entire school. Eventually, Headmaster Grimm, at threat of his position, had agreed that the students could choose their own destiny- to the outcry of several parents, but the student population had quickly silenced them.

And Briar's exposing that the original Snow White had played out had done a good job of convincing many parents. They'd heard of the young girl destined to be the Evil Queen who, by accident, had been poisoned and how instead of the sanitized version, the original had played out- how she'd nearly choked to death, and it had been Dexter's efforts to wake her that dislodged the apple from her throat. Upon realization of the true darkness of their stories, many parents had turned on Headmaster Grimm, who, upon threat of the school closing, had agreed that Legacy Day needed to be put to rest, once and for all.

Dexter turned back to the front as the ceremony began, feeling his heart constrict.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written 2014. Found 2018.- Licia**

Celebration abounded as the recent graduates of Ever After High went in search of their parents and friends, posing for pictures or partaking in excited conversation. Conversation that soon went silent as someone stepped into the courtyard. Instantly, whispers flew, groups parted, and Dexter looked up from his conversation with Apple as the person stepped forward.

"Who's that?"

Apple shook her head. "I don't know. She looks familiar-"

The person- a young woman- wore a simple dark purple dress with a silver thread pattern on the skirt; it fell to her knees, and she wore a pair of black heels on her feet. Her hair was swept back from her face in a high ponytail, and she wore a simple dark purple headband in her black hair. Her makeup was subtle, and she clutched a matching dark purple handbag in front of her.

The whispers got louder and louder, but the young woman didn't notice.

 _"... is that?"_

 _"... it looks like her..."_

 _"I've never seen her before..."_

"It's an honor for you to attend our graduation, my Queen." Headmaster Grimm broke through the crowd, going to the young woman and bowing. She held out a hand, nodding to him.

"As a former student of Ever After High, I couldn't very well _not_ come see my friends graduate, now could I, Headmaster?"

Several of the graduates started in surprise. She was a former student? But... but the was only one... that meant...

"There you are! You know you're not supposed to sneak off like that!" She turned, smiling at the young man that joined her, taking her arm. "Your father would have my head if I lost you-"

She grinned softly. "Come now, Cai, just because you serve both me and my father, does not mean that I need you to be my minder."

"But... but Your Majesty..."

She gently patted his cheek. "Hush. I wanted to attend my friends' graduation."

"I still don't understand _why_ you wanted to attend a mere high school graduation, Your Majesty."

"They're all important to me, Cai. They're all a very important part of my story." She pulled away, making her way towards Dexter and Apple.

"Ah... Ra... _Raven_?"

She smiled softly at them. "Hello, Apple. You look well."

Instantly, the girl threw her arms around her former roommate's shoulders.

* * *

"Who is Cai exactly?" Cerise asked later that night as they all gathered in Raven's hotel room. Over dinner, Raven had informed them of what had gone on since she'd left Ever After High. How her father had stepped down a year earlier, and told her that it was her decision as to whether or not she take the throne, how she'd wrestled with the decision for the better part of six months before deciding that she should take the throne. How over the last year, with her father's guidance, she'd become who had been known throughout Ever After as the ever elusive 'Good Queen', and how she'd managed to turn Marberlay into a better place that she could have ever hoped.

"Cai is one of my father's advisers. He accompanies me everywhere. I told him that I am perfectly capable of attending a graduation on my own, but he wouldn't hear of it." She took a sip of her drink. Dessert had been brought, and everyone dug in, catching Raven up on what had gone on since she left. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that not everyone was following their destiny.

She turned her violet eyes to Dexter, who sat across from her. The prince watched her in silence, before reaching out and taking her outstretched hand. No words passed between them, and they didn't have to. After a moment, she leaned over, kissing him softly.

"So... you must be the Good Queen that everyone seems to know of." Cedar spoke up. "But... how come you never told any of us?"

"It was... a bit of a shock. My father stepped down and I took his place... I had a lot to learn in a year, but," She shrugged. "My father's a good teacher. I learned and I learned quickly. I can control my magic now and... I graduated from Wanderfall Prep a year early, which gave me time to consider my father's offer. I realized that... that I didn't want to leave Marberlay in the hands of someone who didn't know the country or her people. It's better if I take the throne than some stranger. I've been entirely too trusting once, I determined not to make that mistake again."

Everyone knew she was speaking of her poisoning nearly three years ago, and she smiled softly at Apple who sat on her other side, reaching out to take her hand with a gentle squeeze. "I don't blame you Apple. I never did. It was a mistake. An accident. Nothing more."

The blonde nodded, squeezing her friend's hand. She'd long ago accepted that it was an accident, even if she still blamed herself. And Raven seemed to have moved on.

* * *

"I'm proud of you, Dex. Congrats on graduating."

She pulled him into her arms, kissing him soundly. She'd slipped out for some air, and Dexter had followed, meeting her at the balcony's edge. He couldn't believe it; Raven, here, after three years away. She'd grown up, gotten even more beautiful, if that was possible. "Rae-"

"I'm going back to Marberlay tomorrow. I have a meeting with my advisers and my father, so I can't stay longer. I wish I could." She met his gaze, taking his hand. "And I want you to come with me, Dex."

He started, surprised. "Ah... come... with you?" She nodded. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I want to talk to my father. I'm doing... fine on my own, and he's a big help, but..." She pulled away, leaning on the balcony railing. "Things would be a lot easier if I had someone to rule by my side."

"Ah..." His mind seemed to short circuit. Was she really asking what he thought she was asking? "Rae are you-"

She grinned at him, that cheeky little smile that had enchanted him from the moment they met. "So? Will you, Dex?"

His response was to pull her into him arms and kiss her.


End file.
